BOSTON—A Boston police officer was convicted today in federal court of a fraud
scheme involving his work-related disability claim.
ELIEZER GONZALEZ, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard G.
Stearns to 34 counts of mail fraud. He will be sentenced on June 3, 2011. GONZALEZ faces
up to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on
each count of mail fraud.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the government's evidence would have proven that the
City of Boston and a private supplemental insurer were defrauded by GONZALEZ, who went
out on injured leave after allegedly suffering on-the-job injuries in September 2007. He
immediately began receiving tax-free injured pay and also filed for accidental disability
retirement.
GONZALEZ greatly exaggerated and falsified both his injuries and ongoing physical
issues and fraudulently collected both injured leave pay from the City of Boston totaling
approximately $173,000 as well as supplemental insurance benefits totaling $3,600. He was
surveilled and videotaped feigning injuries on or near the same days that he was recorded acting
injury-free, including walking with a cane to his doctor's appointments and then walking
unassisted while running errands. During the time that GONZALEZ was collecting injured pay,
he frequented the L Street Bath House, went salsa dancing, and traveled abroad without
difficulty.
U.S. Attorney Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis made the
announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris
and Diane C. Freniere of the U.S. Attorney's Public Corruption Unit.
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